Morris "Moe" Davis

Morris Davis was born in Shelby, North Carolina. Davis served in the United States Air Force from 1983 to 2008 and reached the rank of colonel. He earned a bachelor's degree from Appalachian State University in 1980. He earned a J.D. from the North Carolina Central University School of Law in 1983. He earned masters' degrees in military law from George Washington University and the United States Army JAG School in 1992. His career experience includes working as a chief prosecutor, an administrative law judge, a law professor, a national security expert, and as a network television commentator with ABC, CNN, NBC, Fox, MSNBC, and National Public Radio.[1]

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Moe Davis and I am a retired Air Force Colonel. I'm also a former Chief Prosecutor at Guantanamo Bay, national security expert, judge and law professor. My wife, Lisa, and I live in Asheville, N.C., and we have a daughter, Ashley.

I was born and raised in Shelby, N.C., and worked on the family farm on weekends. I attended Appalachian State, then obtained my law degree from N.C. Central University and joined the Air Force in 1983. I served for 25 years, rising to Colonel in 2001, before retiring in 2008. I have been a frequent guest on ABC, NBC, CNN, Fox, MSNBC and NPR.

During my career, I stood up to both Republican and Democratic administrations. I resigned as chief prosecutor at Guantanamo Bay because I refused to use evidence obtained through torture as required in the Bush Administration. I also took on the Obama Administration, suing the Library of Congress in a case of free speech. And I won.

I have served my country, now I look forward to serving the people of Western North Carolina.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

The poverty rate in Western North Carolina is persistently high. That's in part because jobs don't pay a living wage. We need to change that. I will fight for a $15 living wage and work to add jobs that pay well, building much-needed infrastructure in our district. We also need to create incentives for green jobs in solar energy that protect the environment, which is a critical economic driver in Western North Carolina.I support a public option -- whether it is called Medicare For All or any other name -- that recognizes access is a human right and puts healthcare above corporate profits. Right now, the per capita cost of healthcare is more than $10,000 per person in America, with almost 1 in 10 Americans uninsured. That's in some cases double the cost per person compared to other developed countries, where every citizen has healthcare coverage. We are paying a lot more, but not getting the same results. It doesn't make sense. Uninsured rates in Western North Carolina counties are even higher than the national average. A single-payer plan will ensure that every citizen has access to care. Once and for all.We need to invest in K-12 education. We can't just rely on property taxes, because we know that means wealthier communities will have the funding to provide better educations and poorer communities will struggle to educate. Nor can we rely on the state to come through to close the gap in funding. North Carolina isn't doing that. We need much greater federal investment in raising teacher pay. We need a major expansion in Title I funding to help close the gap so our K-12 students in rural communities will have the same quality public school education. Funding K-12 public education is an investment in our future. I will support that investment.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about policies that will help Western North Carolina. We need a living wage and better jobs, including jobs in industries such as solar energy that pay well and help protect the environment that is such a significant economic driver in our region. We need access to healthcare, and a single-payer system that won't bankrupt families. And we need to do more to improve education and end the cycle of poverty in our region.